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The Difference Between SEO and Local SEO Explained

search engine optimization

If you’ve got a website for your business, it’s likely much of your customer’s experience starts online. Most of those experiences start with a search engine query, and you want your customer to find your business in the first few results. 

The internet is a tool that can make or break your business. The goal is always to appear in the first few results for terms relevant to your business. To do so, you need to make the most of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). However, it’s not a one-size fits all approach, and there are various elements of SEO that contribute to a successful website.

There’s a big difference between SEO and local SEO, and it’s essential to understand where and how each is relevant to your business growth. 

How Do SEO and Local SEO Differ?

Both types of SEO seek to improve your online search result rankings. It’s at the heart of what SEO is all about. Appearing in top results aids your business in giving customers an easy way to get to your website, learn all about your business, obtain your contact information, and — ultimately — convert.

The difference between the two types is that whereas SEO focuses on your business’s national and global exposure, local SEO focuses on your location and attracting customers located near your business who may be searching for related products and services. 

Both types of SEO use some of the same strategies, but local SEO focuses on specific, specialized tactics to connect you with your local searchers. 

Understanding Organic SEO

Organic SEO, also known as national or traditional SEO, utilizes numerous strategies to increase your website’s rankings in proper search results. To understand how it works, you need to look at the anatomy of a search result.

When you make a Google search, you’ll find paid advertisements at the top of the page. These ads are pay-per-click ads. The results below it are organic. The organic results are the ones you want to note when examining SEO. 

Before the organic results, you will see SERP features. These are unique results that provide consumers with helpful information, typically without clicking on a result. 

SERP features include the following:

  • Reviews
  • Featured snippets
  • Videos
  • Sitelinks
  • People also ask boxes
  • Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP
  • And much more

Let’s say you search “rent jet ski” on Google. After the paid ads, it answers the question: “Can I rent jet skis?”

After this, you see a list of unpaid search results, which are the meat of organic SEO. 68% of all clicks move to the first five results in any search result. This fact makes it essential that you get and keep top rankings in results to make sure people find and contact you. 

Organic SEO Strategies

If you’re using organic or traditional SEO instead of local SEO, you will likely use the following strategies. 

  • Research keywords and targeting relevant keywords on your website
  • Increase your website’s load time
  • Make in-depth, quality content related to your company, services, and products
  • Obtain backlinks from specific websites to enhance domain authority
  • Streamline your navigation and code
  • And much more

These SEO strategies allow your company to appear at the top of search results when consumers search keywords reflecting your company, services, and products. Essentially, SEO creates more searches where people can find, contact, and buy from your company, thus increasing revenue. 

Understanding Local SEO

Local SEO is similar to traditional SEO, but it focuses on your goal of reaching local consumers. 

For instance, let’s say someone is  planning to travel to New York and they search for “top hotels in New York.” If you manage or own a hotel in New York, you want to ensure your business shows up at the top of the results. Local SEO is the key to making that happen. 

80% of local search efforts convert. This statistic makes it essential to use local SEO for your business to focus on local traffic. 

The anatomy of a local search result is a little different than regular search results. It still includes SERP features, ads, and organic results, including Google’s local SEO three-pack. This pack is a map and list of the highest three results, such as New York hotels, in the area. 

Google takes your company’s information from your My Business profile and uses it to create the ad. Sometimes Google takes results from Google Travel when it’s relevant. 

You Don’t Have to Be An SEO Wiz. We Can Help.

SEO can be a struggle when you’re going it solo. 

Many businesses are wasting money on marketing and advertising, sending traffic to websites that don’t convert. 

At KangoMedia, We design websites and digital marketing campaigns that convert website visitors into leads and paying customers so that you get a positive return on investment.

Clients that work with us often see dramatic results in the form of an increase in website leads, requests for quotes, service calls, and sales. Businesses choose to work with KangoMedia because of our focus on growing their business. We are more than a service provider, we are your partner in growth. 

Give us a shout, and let’s talk about your business.

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